The mission of the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is to foster opportunities for businesses to grow and for communities to succeed and thrive in a global economy. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for Pennsylvania citizens while assuring transparency and accountability in the expenditure of public funds.

The CARES Act provides for three allocations of homeless assistance funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance and to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts created by coronavirus.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), has received the first allocation of ESG-CV funds – an appropriation of $19,920,655 based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) federal fiscal year 2020 formula distribution. DCED’s priority for the use of these ESG funds will be to assist homeless providers and communities prepare for, prevent the spread of and respond to the coronavirus. DCED will use the ESG CARES funding to support applicants who will work to end or prevent homelessness quickly and as efficiently as possible for all vulnerable populations.

Uses

Eligible activities include all activities listed in the Emergency Solutions Grant Interim Rule, published in the Federal Register on December 5, 2011. ESG-CV funds may be used for any single activity or combination of eligible activities as outlined below and address the priorities and any published supplemental requirements of the CARES Act in order to prepare for, prevent the spread of and respond to the coronavirus.

Homelessness Prevention*

Emergency Shelter (no cap on the amount of funds that may be requested for Shelter)

*Federal entitlement communities (those communities that receive an allocation of ESG CARES Act funds directly from HUD) are only eligible to apply for funds in the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Components.

Eligibility

DCED will accept applications from any general-purpose unit of local government, including cities, boroughs, and townships, towns, counties, home rule municipalities, and communities that desire to apply “on behalf of” other municipalities. Local governments may apply “on behalf of” nonprofit organizations. Non-profit organizations are eligible to apply only for a regional project as long as it demonstrates a regional need and serving multiple counties. (DCED defines “regional” as more than one county.)